Too Cool for School

Normally I do not take pictures of my kids during day-to-day stuff, and especially during the tantrums, etc. But last week I couldn’t resist during the biggest tantrum Donny has ever had. It lasted about an hour, so I had plenty of time to snap a few shots on my phone. First, I’ll share the story behind it. I was writing it down in my journal in real time because it was seriously the funniest thing ever, and I have to remember it forever.

From my journal:

So Donny doesn’t generally have temper tantrums… something I’m VERY grateful of. But right now he is having the biggest tantrum of his life. It all started (for me) when Shey and Donny came into my room for prayer this morning. I was up with Violet until 4:30, so I didn’t wake up earlier than this to help Shey get ready (thank goodness she is so responsible!) Anyway, they walked in and Donny was dressed, ready to go to school with Shey. I explained (thinking they were kidding) that he couldn’t go. Donny started crying and insisted that he was going. I said no again and sent Shey on her way. A few seconds later I heard the front door open and close. I assumed Donny was just going out to hug her goodbye and come back in. After counting to 10 in my head he had not come back yet, so I ran outside and there they were — halfway to the school! I drug him back home where he cried and yelled and kicked the floor. After a few minutes he came up and told me he WAS going- he had his bag packed and his lunch packed and the Holy Ghost was going to help him. “What’s the Holy Ghost going to help you do?” The Holy Ghost was going to stop me from being mean and being the boss because the Holy Ghost is boss! He then threatened to pray, which he did. I couldn’t understand the words of his tear-filled prayer, but after, he looked up and said “THERE! I PRAYED ABOUT IT AND I’M GOING TO SCHOOL!” I explained that Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost can’t help us break rules, even if we pray about it. He opened his backpack and showed me his crayons and paper and stickers and told me about the lunch that Shey packed for him. He’s calmed down now, so maybe the prayer did help him — just not in the way he was hoping for!

Further update: when Shey got home from school that day, she had a pillow in her backpack… in case Donny wanted to take a nap while he was at school with her. I asked her why she would think that he could go to school with her and she just said “I don’t know… I just thought of it!” The next day she was upset again that Donny will only go to Kindergarten when she is in 5th grade, so they won’t get to play together and they’ll only have the one year together. I sure hope that she continues to love her brother so much! And, needless to say, since then I have made sure that I’m fully awake before Shey goes to school in the mornings!